


Starry Eyed [THIS WORK IS ON HOLD]

by burkiebeans



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Taylor doesnt play hockey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-25 09:16:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12528024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burkiebeans/pseuds/burkiebeans
Summary: Taylor caught sight of Jordan on his first day of school, in gym of all places.





	1. Chapter 1

Taylor once-overed himself in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time this morning.

“Honey, come on! You still have to eat breakfast and we don’t want to be late for your first day!” his mom yelled from downstairs. He straightened his button down one more time. He was ready, physically, but this was his first day at a new school, in a new city, in a new province, thankfully-- still in Canada.

“Coming!”

He grabbed his backpack and jogged down the steps, almost knocking into his mother in the kitchen.

“Woah Taylor, slow down a little.”

He rolled his eyes after his mom leaned down to hug him good morning. She sat down a plate of waffles and bacon in front of him.

“Waffles?” he questioned, looking up but digging in.

She smiled warmly as she sat down with a mug of coffee for herself.

“Thought it’d be a fun first day treat,” she glanced up at the clock on the oven, “but you gotta eat quick.”

He finished his food in record time, only making small talk in between bites.

“You remember the way?”

“Yeah, mom. I got it. I’ll see you when you get home?”

She nodded and prodded him out the door, watching him walk down the driveway and to the sidewalk.

\---

The first thing Taylor noticed was the outrageous amounts of students walking the hallways. The second thing, however, was how overly dressed he was for Regina Collegiate. His eyes bounced from person to person, watching them walk by in some blue jeans and t shirts, while he was in khakis, a button down, and a sports coat despite it being early October.

He needed to find the office to get his schedule. Everyone he saw was either in a group talking or laughing loudly, or lost in their own mp3 world. He wandered the halls, scanning the door plaques until he found it just as the bell rang.

He opened it slowly, locking eyes with an older woman with greying hair and warm brown eyes. She smiled at him as he walked up to the desk. He reached in his pocket to pull out the piece of paper his mom and him had struggled to print last night.

“Mr. Hall, very nice to meet you!” She said in a delighted voice. He huffed out, partially embarrassed, and blushed.

“Here's your schedule… and your student I.D.. Do you think you can find your way around?”

He glanced back through the windows and nodded when he looked back at her.

“I think I'll manage.”

With that he said his thank you's and walked down the deserted hallway. His first class was English, which, he’s good at. He's good at a whole lot, actually. Math was his specialty though he'd never admit it.

The first half hour of the class was spent reading passages from Shakespeare and interpreting them. It was boring as hell. Taylor closed his notebook and glanced around at his new classmates. Starting at a new school in the middle of the year was tough, especially since he was a sophomore and most people have already discovered their friend group.

He saw the two guys up front passing notes whenever the teacher wasn't looking. The group of girls in the back were whispering in hushed tones, erupting in quiet giggles at the mention of a name. Then he noticed the quad in front of him who were sliding their notebooks to the corners so the others could copy.

It was like his old school, he thought. Everyone already _had _their people. He sighed and kept his head down, picking at his nails until the bell chimed signaling the end of the period.__

__He went about being late to his first three classes. By lunchtime, he was about ready to quit. The cafeteria was pretty easy to find as Taylor had already walked by it a half dozen times today. He went through the doors only to be met by a whole new breed of chaos. Four long, polished dark wood tables were filled with students while picnic tables scattered the cement and grass outside. It almost looked like a scene from Harry Potter, except there were no owls or… magical letters that yelled._ _

__He bit his lip anxiously, not even knowing where to begin. After a brief moment, he thought maybe the food line would be a good starting point._ _

__“Chicken or fish?”_ _

__“Uh, fish is fine please, thanks.”_ _

__The man nodded and picked up a good looking piece for his plate. He piled it high with other fruits and vegetables, then handed it back. Taylor grabbed a piece of bread from the basket and added a canned soda to his tray before paying and walking out into the dining area._ _

__He wasn't sure he'd ever been this overwhelmed in his life._ _

__Outside seemed like a safer bet than inside after seeing the growing number of upperclassmen gather at the long tables. He wouldn't be as claustrophobic._ _

__He sat down at an empty table and ate alone reading his book. It was okay, he thought. He missed his friends back home, like Beau. Beau was a little weird, but in a good way. Taylor was weird too. They'd go out to the lake and fish for hours during the summer and every time one of them caught something, Beau gave a full explanation on the kind of fish it was._ _

__The bell interrupted his thoughts and he pulled out his schedule to see what was next._ _

__Gym. Great._ _

__Taylor wasn't exactly a sports person. Growing up in Calgary, he was supposed to like hockey. Hell, the fact that he's Canadian meant hockey was supposed to be pulsing through his blood. That fell short though, and he'd watched a few games when he was younger, with his dad, but the sport was foreign to him. Most sports were at least. He'd tried baseball when he was 6, but his dad left that year and it was too costly to keep playing._ _

__He stood on the hardwood and watched partially in awe, mostly in surprise as the school's hockey team walked past him and out the double doors to where he assumed the rink was. He glanced around, not seeing the coach yet, and walked at a distance behind them. It's no secret this school took pride in their sports. The facilities were amazing and according to their school website, which Taylor had thoroughly looked at, almost half of the students played a sport._ _

__He watched the group of boys walk down a path leading to a bigger warehouse type building. Painted on the side was ‘Regina Junior Ice Forum’. They were carrying large duffels and hockey sticks and-- oh _shit _.___ _

____Taylor gasped and jumped out of the way, bumping into a girl who had bright pink streaks and wore glasses that looked like they took up half her face._ _ _ _

____“Uh-.” Taylor muttered out, still surprised about one hockey player turning around and locking eyes with Taylor. The boy smiled warmly, but Taylor was sure he only grimaced in response before he ducked out of the way._ _ _ _

____Which, now that he thinks about it, the boy was cute. _Really _cute. He had wavy dark hair, and he squinted when he smiled. It was quirky. Taylor felt his cheeks heat up, but he remembered the girl in front of him, waving her hands in front of his face.___ _ _ _

______“Hey dude? Do you hear me? Aren't you gonna apologize?” She said, now snapping her fingers next to his ear._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Uh, yeah yeah. Sorry about that, I was… a little distracted.” He muttered, scratching his head and avoiding her eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Whatever. What's your name anyways? I've never seen you before.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Taylor. Hall.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______She huffed out a laugh and smiled._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nothing it's just-- isn't Taylor, well, a _girl's _name?”___ _ _ _ _ _

________His eyes widened in shock. What the _fuck _? You don't just say that to people. Did she have a filter?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He sputtered. “Well. Uh. No? It can be a boys name too!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She giggled a little more and nodded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Relax Taylor.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He rolled his eyes in annoyance and glared at her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, what's your name then?” He asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Taylor Jones.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He deflated a bit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She looked back when she heard a series of whistles from the coaches, letting everyone know class was about to start._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Nice to meet you _Taylor _Hall. But, Mr. Tremblay calls and I'd prefer to not have another tardy next to my name.” She said, walking towards the front of the gym.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________All he could muster was a quiet, “Yeah, see you later.” Before a tall, younger looking man walked up to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Taylor Hall, yes?” He said in a thick Russian accent._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Taylor nodded and followed him towards his gym class. The whole time all he could think about was how he needed to learn about hockey, because he was pretty sure his whole social life would depend on it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The week went on and he ended up spending most of lunch with the other Taylor, who quickly became his only friend at Regina._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“So, what's up with the whole ‘sports math’ thing?” She asked one day, putting air quotes up then shoving some fries in her math._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Taylor glanced up from his notebook and put his pen down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“What do you mean?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She frowned and flipped his notebook towards her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Like, why are you looking at the angles and shit? Do you even like hockey?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I don't know. I was bored… and hockey seems to be popular here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Whatever, I think sports are stupid. I'd much rather spend my gym time in art.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He smiled at that. Sports are stupid. More pointless than anything he could think of. Except-- Eberle played sports. He played hockey, and maybe hockey wasn't so bad._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He snatched his notebook back and closed it, shoving it in his backpack._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Hey do you know the kid with the last name Eberle?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Jordan?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He shrugged._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“He's got like brown hair, on the hockey team…” he trailed off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yeah Jordan, what about him?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Well shoot, he didn't know where this conversation was going when he started it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I was just wondering what his name is, saw him around. I think he's in my math class.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She thankfully dropped the conversation and let him work, trying to find the trajectory angle and the right speed for the perfect shot in every corner._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

On Saturday morning, his mom dragged him out of bed bright and early and took him to breakfast.

 

“So, how's school?” She asked, taking a bite of her eggs

 

“Fine.”

 

“Do you like your teachers?”

 

He nodded, which resulted in a frustrated sigh from his mom.

 

“Are you making any friends?”

 

He thought about it, and Taylor Jones could count as a friend, right? They hung out during school and they were both sophomores.

 

“Yeah, one.”

 

“Well, are you gonna tell me about them?”

 

Taylor shrugged. There wasn't a whole lot to tell.

 

“Her name is Taylor. She's pretty cool I guess. She can paint and she plays guitar.”

 

His mom smiled at that.

 

“Is she your…  _ girlfriend? _ ”

 

Taylor choked on his waffles and looked up at her maniacally. He grabbed his juice and washed everything down.

 

“No! She's just a friend!”

 

His mom chuckled and left it at that.

 

Here's the thing. Taylor was gay and he was sure to keep that a secret for as long as he lived. Unless you know, the world suddenly deemed it  _ okay _ to be gay. But, it was still 2007 and while the viewpoints in the world were constantly changing, he couldn't begin to imagine a world where he could come out.

 

\---

 

He wasn't sure why he thought maybe watching the first game of the season was a good idea, but here he was anyways, now $5 short and sitting on the bleachers in his school's hockey rink. The student section was down near the glass, the seniors up front and lowerclassmen were left to scour a seat behind them. Bright signs littered the stands and damn, he was just now noticing how cold it was. Wearing a t shirt and shorts may not have been a good idea after all.

 

“Need this?” He heard from behind him.

 

He whipped around only to see Taylor, dangling a hoodie with the school's logo across the front.

 

He smiled and scooted over so she could sit.

 

“Yeah, thanks. Where'd you get a hoodie my size?”

 

Taylor wasn't exactly short compared to the other Taylor.

 

“I took it from my brother a while ago and I found it in the car.”

 

He pulled it over his head just as the game was about to start.

 

“So, do you understand any of this?” Taylor asked, halfway through the first period. So far all he'd seen were boys flying down the ice, knocking the other team down and repeating the process. He shook his head but kept his eyes locked on the game below him.

 

“Yeah, me neither. I'm gonna grab a coke, you want anything?” She said, steadying herself on Taylor's shoulders while she stood up.

 

“No, thanks though.”

 

Someone finally scored, he thinks it's a point for his team, but he's not one hundred percent sure. He picked up his notebook and pen from beside him and started to scribble out diagrams of puck movement from shots during the second period. Stats were maybe the only part of sports he understood. Rallying and the physicality itself, he was lost on. 

 

The next time he looked up from his scribble on paper, Taylor was back next to him munching on popcorn. 

 

“Whatcha looking at?” 

 

He blinked, and tore his gaze away from Jordan on the bench.

 

“Uh, nothing. Just thinking is all.”

 

“Hmmmm.  _ Okay _ , Taylor.”

 

The game ended in a Regina win, and the home ice crowd erupted. 

 

“Hey I gotta go, you need a ride?”

 

Taylor shook his head and said goodbye, giving her a hug before she wandered off. He decided to stay a little longer, see what he's supposedly missing.

 

The boys all shook hands on the ice, then skated to their respective locker rooms. Most of the crowd stayed, at least the students. Some were waiting by the doors for their friends and there was a whole other group outside who were celebrating the win and making plans to party. Taylor just sat at the top of the bleachers, watching the chaos below him. It was pretty rowdy for a Tuesday night, and his mom would probably have his head right now if it weren't for his pleading earlier. 

 

The players eventually came out and the crowd got thinner as people left. Just as Taylor was walking out, Jordan came barreling out of the locker room bearing, once again, his oversized duffel bag and a stick. His hair was wet underneath the hat he was wearing, and his attire consisted of gym shorts, a loose t shirt, and flip flops. Taylor couldn't help but stare as Jordan hugged his mom. His dad patted him on the back and congratulated him and his sisters smiled brightly as they showed them the sign they'd made. It was cute, Taylor thought. Who he assumed was his brother, took Jordan's stick from him and fiddled around with it. Jordan let him hold it as his whole family passed by Taylor on their way out. 

 

It was almost nauseating how perfect they seemed. 

 

Taylor stuffed his hands into his pockets as he started his way home. The air was getting chilly now and he was thankful Taylor let him keep the sweatshirt tonight. He was just about to turn onto his street when a truck slowed by him and the driver rolled down the window.

 

“Hey kid, do you want a ride home?”

 

Taylor looked up a little scared at first, but grew to be more embarrassed when he saw none other than Jordan in the passenger's seat, nursing a burrito and tuning the radio.

 

“No thanks, I'm just down there.” He said, trying to be as polite as possible.

 

“Alright, stay safe.”

 

He watched the car turn, and he thought they were making a u-turn, until they pulled into the driveway and the car stopped running.

 

Holy crap, he lived down the street from Jordan and he didn't know until now? He realized that he was now staring, watching Jordan's mom open the front door and walk out to help carry the food inside, and he returned his gaze back to the sidewalk and sped up his walk. He smiled the whole way home and was in a better mood during dinner, when his mom made his favorite.

 

The following Wednesday was an early morning for him. He was actually out of the house and on his way to school 20 minutes earlier than usual. That consequently meant he walked past Jordan's house just as his perfect little family was piling into their minivan and making their way to school. He let his gaze wander for a second. It was all smiles from them, even if it was early. Taylor suddenly felt a pang in his chest and frowned. He readjusted his backpack and glanced one last time and--  _ shit! _ He locked eyes with Jordan. Jordan smiled and lifted his hand in a wave. Taylors motor functions short circuited and he glued his eyes to the sidewalk as he walked a little faster towards the school.

 

Jordan frowned but got in the car anyways. He sat up front with his mom while his siblings were in the back. His age meant he had control of the radio every other day (trading off the Ashley), which was a blessing. He wasn’t sure why the new kid was always so shy. They were complete opposites. Although Jordan was a ‘jock’, he wasn’t a jerk. He was genuine to everyone and he spent his entire academic career making sure people knew that. His parents raised him right, at least. 

 

“What’s wrong Jor?” his mom asked as she got in the car.

 

Startled, he looked at her wide-eyed.

 

“Nothing just… thinking.”  He glanced behind him to his sisters, then out the back window. He could still see Taylor at the corner, looking to cross the street. 

 

“Actually, I think I’m gonna walk.”

 

He hopped out of the car rushing his goodbyes before making a dead sprint across the lawn and to the sidewalk. Just to his luck, there was traffic, meaning Taylor was still at the crosswalk when he got there, shifting from foot to foot waiting for a car to stop.

 

“Hey, stranger.” he said as he walked up. 

 

Taylor jumped and looked at him scared, then relaxed.

 

“Oh, hey.” he paused, “I saw your game last night. It was cool.”

 

“Yeah?” Jordan smiled, “You like hockey?”

 

Taylor’s smile faded a bit as he looked down. 

 

“Uh, no. Well I mean my mom didn’t let me watch it as a kid so yeah.”

 

“That’s okay. Just means you gotta catch a few more games, eh?”

 

He huffed a laugh, “Totally.”

 

When Taylor had asked his mom the day before to go to the game, he tried to play it off as well as he could. She’d never let him watch it as a kid, no matter how Canadian his blood was. It was something about the violence of the sport, but, he was a boy. Shouldn’t he be able to like that stuff? He asked and she said no, so he had to resort to a 5 minute meltdown about how he was 15 now and he could make his own decisions. He was really starting to think that maybe his dad was a hockey player, maybe that's why she was so negative towards the sport and made him quit watching it. But, whatever. He had quit wasting his time over his dad a while ago. He hadn't seen him in 9 years and even when he was around, he was always gone. 

 

“So, how you liking Regina?” 

 

“Its pretty cool. Whole lot different than Calgary, I can tell you that.”

 

“Heh. I bet.”

 

There was an awkward silence lingering over them. Jordan really wasn’t sure what he was thinking when he made the rash decision to walk with Taylor. He wasn’t thinking at all, probably. They walked through the doors and a pack of boys immediately waved Jordan over. He winced and looked back at Taylor, looking embarrassed and somewhat annoyed. 

 

“I gotta go, see you later though?” 

 

Taylor nodded and gave a wave before heading in the direction of his science class. 

 

He slumped down, clearly frustrated. He still had ten minutes before the bell rang and he wasn’t sure  _ why _ Jordan had put him in an upset mood already. It wasn’t like he expected the kid to confess his undying love for him or something. 

 

“What’s up with you today?” 

 

He squinted at Taylor as she walked past him, sitting down to be his lab partner. 

 

“Nothing, TJ.”

 

She froze from pulling out her notebook and narrowed her eyes at him. Taylor was confused thinking he’d crossed a line with the nickname, but she nodded and smiled and he breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Hm, haven't heard that one yet but I like it.”

 

Throughout the day, Jordan gave Taylor quick glances when they saw each other. His mouth would turn up in a toothless smile as they passed leaving Taylor a blushing mess. TJ finally took notice to it as they were walking outside after the last bell rang. 

 

“Okay, why do you keep blushing?” she asked, turning around to look behind her then staring up at him expectantly. “Is there something I’m missing?”

 

“No.” he took a deep breath, “It’s nothing.”

 

“Alright Taylor.” She walked off to her brothers car leaving Taylor to walk home by himself. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey Taylor!” Taylor jumped then glared at TJ, who’d grabbed a hold of his backpack as he was walking down the stairs. She rolled her eyes and nudged him in the shoulder. 

 

“Wanna come over tonight? My brothers having a party.”

 

_ No way in hell his mom would let him go. _

 

“Uh… I gotta ask my mom, but maybe? Can I text you later or something?” She nodded and veered off to the doors of her physics class. “See ya!”

 

Taylor threw his bag on the ground and slipped off his shoes when he got home. “Mom!” he yelled, wandering around until he found her on the phone in the kitchen. 

 

“Mom?” he said again, then wincing as she frowned and held up her hand. He grabbed a gatorade from the fridge waiting for her to get off the phone. 

 

“Who was that?” he asked as soon as she hung up. 

 

“No one, hun.” she sighed. Taylor called bullshit in his mind.

 

“So…” he started, wondering if this was a good time to ask or not. His mom hummed. “I was wondering if I could hang out with some friends tonight?”

 

He expected the worst, but when she smiled and nodded, he was surprised. “Of course! Who?”

 

“My friend Taylor that I was telling you about.”

 

“Of course! Do you need me to drive you?”

 

He shook his head. “I’ll just walk.”

 

Taylor suspected that his mom was letting him go because he was still new, and she felt bad for making him move. Regina was great, but of course they both missed Calgary. Taylor missed his friends, his school, and his mom probably missed their community. She’d let loose for a little bit until they got settled in, he thought.

 

Taylor texted TJ and started to get ready. He’d never been to a  _ party _ party, unless you count the one time he and Beau found their way into some seniors party by the lake, but they got kicked out before anything could happen. Taylor dug through his closet, trying for something remotely ‘cool’ but also casual. Man, this was cheesy.

 

After thirty minutes of sifting through packed boxes and what was in his closet, he finally decided on a t shirt underneath a plaid button down with some jeans. It wasn’t far off from what he normally wore to school, but, it was still a little nicer. He brushed his teeth and combed his hair again, hoping that it would be somewhat tame. 

 

Apparently, TJ lived about 15 minutes away. Taylor had to look it up and take pictures of the map on the tiny flip phone he had. Whatever, it was better than nothing. By the time he was out the door and starting his trek, it was near dark out. It had started to get colder out and the leaves were changing colors.

 

Everyday since Jordan had walked with Taylor to school, he’d been dreading passing his house. Fortunately, he was pretty sure they had morning practice for the rest of the week so Jordan had already left by the time he passed it every morning. He wasn’t so lucky this time.

 

“Taylor! Hey wait up!” Taylor jumped in fear for the second time that day, and whipped around to see Jordan running from his dad’s truck.

 

“Hey Jordan. What’s up?”

 

“You’re going to the party right?”

 

Taylor nodded.

 

“Come on. My dad’s driving me and it's getting dark, so you can ride too.”

 

“Are you su--” he was cut off by Jordan grabbing his arm and pulling him back towards his driveway.

 

“Yes, I’m sure. My dad doesn’t mind.”

 

Jordan got back up front and Taylor awkwardly hopped in the back, thanking Jordan's father when he got buckled up.

 

“Oh, it’s not a problem Taylor! I’ve been meaning to meet your family anyways since I saw the moving truck a couple weeks ago. How are you guys settling in?”

 

_ Fine, you know just normal crushes on your son, freaking out over nothing, blushing whenever anything happens, and I still don’t know what's going on in Romeo and Juliet.  _

 

“Good,” he answered, “It’s a little different than Calgary, but not bad or anything. Still just trying to figure it all out, though.”

 

Jordan's dad nodded. “You play any sports?”

 

_ Fuck. _

 

Taylor coughed, “Uh, no. I’m not too coordinated.” He tried to laugh it off as best he could, but from what he could tell, he didn’t need to.

 

“That’s alright! You should look into some clubs at school though--”

 

“ _ Dad. _ ” Jordan cut him off. He continued. “Our eldest daughter takes part in some, right?” Jordan nodded.

 

“Yeah, I’ll definitely look into some! Thanks for the ride again, Mr. Eberle!”

 

“Any time.”

 

They both got out on the street next to TJ’s house. Jordan’s whole family was a fucking Hallmark movie in the making. They were literally  _ perfect _ and Taylor would never admit that he was jealous, but, he was a little jealous.

 

“Sorry about my dad,” Jordan said as they walked up to the house. His hands were shoved into his pockets. “He tends to talk a lot.”

 

“It’s… nice. It’s really nice.” Taylor smiled and led the way in. It was a little too crowded and a little too loud, but all things considered, it wasn’t too bad. TJ dragged Taylor through the house as soon as he walked in, leaving Jordan to go find his teammates.

 

“Why were you with Jordan?” she asked, once they were sitting on the couch watching whatever hockey game was on with the rest of the party.

 

“His dad drove me. We live close by, remember?” Taylor vaguely remembers explaining that to her after his ‘Jordan walked with me to school today’ comment.

 

“Oh… yeah.” she frowned.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing! You wanna get some food?”

 

They maneuvered through groups of people to get to the kitchen, where chips and sodas were spread out on the table. Taylor wondered how often these parties happened to where TJ was so chill about them.

 

“Who's your brother, anyways?” 

 

TJ looked up from dipping her chip in salsa.

  
“Oh, Eli’s around here somewhere. He’s graduating this year, so he’s kinda going all out.”

 

Taylor nodded. That was understandable. 

 

They spent a lot of the party down in the basement, which was pretty empty and a lot quieter than the main event upstairs. They played a few rounds of pool and made good use of the playstation that was down there, until it was around 11 and Taylor knew his curfew would be broken if he didn’t leave right then. He walked up the stairs but ran face first into someone's chest.

 

“Taylor! I was just looking for you! My dad’s here, you need a ride home?”

 

Jordan was awfully nice for someone he barely knew.

 

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

 

Jordan smiled and nodded, waving Taylor to follow him.

 

“What’d you do the whole time?” Jordan asked, one step in front of Taylor as they wove through the people.

 

“Uh not much, just hung out with Taylor Jones.”

 

“Oh, cool! She’s in science with me!”

 

“Yeah?” Jordan nodded. 

 

Taylor listened as Jordan went on about school when they walked to the car. It was actually kinda cute, the way he babbled on about literally anything. Taylor was pretty sure he could bring up motor parts or violins and Jordan would find a way to talk endlessly about it.

 

“Have fun boys?” Mr. Eberle asked as soon as they got in.

 

“Yeah!”

 

Taylor nodded.

 

“Good, good.”

 

The ride to Taylor's house was silent, except for the country playing from the radio. When they pulled up, Jordan's dad told him “Make sure you tell your mom and dad that we’ll invite you over for dinner sometime soon! And that we apologize for waiting so long.”

 

_ If only he had a dad. _

 

Taylor just thanked him and got out. His mom was asleep when he got inside. 


End file.
